Conductor-support for movable tools.



PATENTE; DB0. 25, 1906. J. I. AYER a; Q.T. GILBERT. .CONDUCTOR SUPPORTPQR MOVABLB TOOLS..

No. 8219,25@I

APPLICATION FILED 1330.22.1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1y /l fu. a .n f M .Uw IL daf l TATENTED DEO. 25, i906. J. IT. AYER O O. T. GILBERT. CONDUCTOR SUPTORTTORIMOVABLB TOOLS.

' APPLIOATION FILED DEO.Z2,1905'.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

y lo' specification, 'li-ke letters on the drawings Figs. 1 and 2 ofthe drawings show the in- 6o UNITED Srarjirisjggrnnfr '.onrron.

AMES i. Aran, on CAMBRIDGE, AND eEoaeE TfsiLBERT, oF NORTH- AMPToN, MASsAcHUsErTS, AssreNoEs To SIMPLE); ELECTRIC HEAT- luae COMPANY, or sosToN. MASsAcnusETTS, A. coRroRATIoN or MASSACHUSETTS. y

-coNDuo'Tonesu's-Posr con Moi/ABLE TooLs.

No. 339,256. specification omettere satana Patented Dec. 2.5, 190e.

I I Application filed December 2,2, 1905. Serial No. 292.943.

To all whom it may concern: tail of another form 'of the invention, the

Be it known that lwe, JAMES I. AYER, of supporting-standard being mounted on the .Cambrid e, in the county of Middlesex, and ceiling. Fig. 6 is a detail of a third form of GEORGE GILBERT, of Northampton, in the the invention with the su porting-standard. `5county of Hampshire, -State of Massachw from below, as in Fig. l. Fig. 7 is a detail of 55 cette have invented an .Improvement in a fourth form of the invent1on with the su Conductor-Su ports for vll/lovable Tools, of Eorting-standard .mounted on a side wall. which the fol owing description, in connecign 8 is a front elevation of the parts shown -tion withthe",'accompanying drawings, is a in Fig. 7.

representing like parts. Ventron in usein connection with an electric' In the use of'movable tools to which an ally-heated flat-iron and an ironing-table electric current is supplied a iiexible conducover which the'ilat-iron is moved; but it is to tonfor. conveying the current is usually an be understood that the invention is in no `I5 essential. This flexible conductor if susway 'concerned with the particular kind of 65 pended from 'a ceiling or fastened to a side movable tool or its uses solong as thetool wall or other, support must be provided with requires a sup ly of electric current necessilsuflicient slack to allow the free movement tatingo a ie "lile conductor and is to be ofthe tool over the work or y.to the diii'erent moved from oint to point while in use.

2Q points of its a plication. slack is al-A 'In Fig. l t eironing-table Ais shown with 7o Ways more or ess a sourcef'of annoyance to the legs C C resting on the floor B. At one `the operator of the tool and frequently seriside of the table, supported on the fioor'at D ,.ousiy interferes with the operation of the tool,- and added to the table at E, is the supportand because .of its constant motion it fre ing-standard F, shown as a post extendf" .2s quently gives trouble fr'orn.breaking vat ing upward to the desired height. The sup- 75 3o iron.

4 example of a movable tool.

points where sharpest bends/occur or in portingfarm for the iiexible conductor Gis vplaces where kinksl form. These difficulties pivoted to 'the upper. end of the supportingoccur as the' result of the handling of electric standard to be freely movable in various tools-such, 'for example, as an electric iiatdirections. This supporting-arm ma be v f.-. il. constructed in any desired form and is shown 8o The object of this invention'to rovide as made up of' a sort of wire trusswork. The a convenient yielding support for tie conelectric conductor H extends from a sepa- "-ductor that will `prevent its kinkin allow rableconn'ector l at rthe end of the arm 'thefree movement of the tool, an at the through guiding-eye`s g on the arm, down 35 same .time keep sufficient tension on the con* through the supporting-standard, which is 65' ductor tov avoid having slack anywhere made hollow for that purpose, to-a switchl during the operation of the tool. f box J, located at a convenient point on the The drawings represent the linvention in standard. The connection from the supply several forms with an electriclla-t-iron as the to the switch-box may be lmade in any del sired way and in thisiigureis shown asa 9o inthe-drawings, Figure 1 .represents`vl`v the wire H2, running up through the 'Hoor through invention inits preferred form, the support the hollow standard' to the switch-box J.` ing-standard being mounted on the Afloor. The flexible conductor K extends from thel Fig. 2l shows substantially the same conseparable connector I to the electric tool,

'45 struction as Fig. 1, with the sup ortinghereinshown as the flat-iron L.

i detail showing the joint between the yielding' fiat-iron L, 'the flexible conductor K, the seg 9 5 1 standardv attached to aside Wall. g. 8 1s a in Fig. 2 the ironing-table A, the tool or arm and the standard in side elevation. Fig. arable connector I, the supporting-arm .4 is a similar detail showing the same parts and the conductor H are all substantially the 50 asin Fig. 3 in front elevation. Fig. 5 is ade- 1 y same in construction as already described in roo ed with a bracket D2, by which it is attached to the side wall. The switch-box G2 isalso shown attached to the same side well.

The connection between the supporting-4 standard and the supporting-arm `for the conductor is the samev in. both oi the constructions illustrated in Figs. l and 2 and is shown in detail in Figs. Il and Lt. ln these latter ligures the supporting-standard is of the iorm shown in Fig. 2.

The essentiel feature of the -ioint is that it shell allow oi the practically universal movement oi the supporting-arm, or at least a universel movement within. certain obvious limits. In this form of the invention this movement isse'cured by providing double pivots, one 'transverse to the other. .lt is also an essential feature of the invention that the erm shall be yieldingly mounted and shall act to leep `the flexible conductor lt. without slack during the movement oi the tool. 'lhese ends are secured in Figs. 3 and 4i as follows: A pivot-block lll is journaled vertically inthe supporting-standard F2. A sk rin N is connected at one end, as n, with t e pivot-block M and at the other end, as n, with the supporting-standard Fa or its bracket l)l and is so adjns ted that Whenever the pivotblock M is turned on its axis the spring will return or restore it to its normal position. This provides for lateral movement of the supporting-arm.

The vertical movement of the supportingarni, which in conjunction with the horiyontel movement allows for universal movement, is provided for as follows: The pivot-block Mis extended laterally to present two bearings m and the end of the supporting-arm G is journaled in these bearing-arms on the pin O. A spring P is' connected at one end with the ivot-bloclr ivi, as by being attached to the nearing m, end at its other end is connected with the supporting-arm G. '.lo allow of adjusting the tension of thc spring,I this connection shown made by the spring being at taffflmd to a ratchet j, which engages n. portion oi' tin' supporting-erm il. nnmnti'd on the pin (l. Ylhls spring thermally tends to elevate the supporting-arni il. lt will thus be seen that bv rea son of thev ,mo vement of the ivot-block hiver lally :md the ot-pin O* m'izontally the supporti:ig-arro il may be swung within reasonable limits to any' desired position, allowing it lo 'follow the move ment oi the tool Wherever the tool is n pplicd. The spring P tends to elevate the end ot the arm or to nroduce tensimxon'tl-1e conductor K and hold it taut and lreofrom :dn-lr, the :nl-- just/ment ol the ring allowing oi rho right degree of tension icing applied. 'lhrspring ll also nots to produce ten-im:- on llucon-- dnctor l and eli s the supporting-arm lo scribed as mounted on' the floor or on the side wall, it is obvious that a very slight change in construction would allow it to be mounted -upon the ceilingl or at any other position.

'lhe mounting of suoli a standard upon the ceiling is illustrated in Fig. 5. It is also obvious that the springs for allowing the yielding movement of the supporting-arm may be arranged in different ways and` may be ot' varying construction. 'l he# joint also by which the universal movement is permitted may he ofv various formsy and constructions. Some oi these forms embodying the invention in its broader aspects are shown in Figs. 5-8, inclusive. j L

ln Fig. 5 the su ortiug-standard F is shown as connectedp the bese D3 to the ceiling or overhead support. The supportingarm G3 is pivotally mounted to move in two directions, and thus obtain universal movement at the lower end ofthe standard F3. the construction shown thepivot-bloek M3 is verticall pivoted in the lower end of the standar F and is prevented from falling out by the ilanged projection R riding on the collar S3, attached to the standard by the setscrexv T, which nrevents completo rotation of the pivot-bloei( when the flanged rejection comes into engagement with it. 'lll and-down or vertical movement ofthe supportine-arln is provided for b pivoting it upon t 'e pivot-pin O3 in the en ot the pivotblock M. The spring N 3 controls the movement of the supporting-arm, in the horizontal direction, and a spring at the pivot O, similarly arranged as that shown 1n Fig. 4, controls the movement in theI vertical direction.

In Fig. (i another form is shown, wherein the supporting-erin (l4 is horizmitally pivoted at 0* in the up )er end of the pivot-block M4, ionrnnlcd in tlm upper' end of the 'supporting-stamlard l, lwo springs extending from n rearwardly-pn)jectmg arm g of the supporting-arm to separated pointsf" on the supportiruf-standard act both to raise the forward ond of the sup )orting-ornl and to hoop ii normally end yicldingly in a ccntral sidi-wise posit ion.

Figs. 7 and 8 represent'. still another form ol the invention in which the supportingstandard if isinV the form of a spherical socket attached by the buse D to thc side Wall. The summrling-arm (ll is provided with a ball-shaped vnd llv lll-ling in .the socket ol: the s1 undrml :Ind allowing ol' the universal movement. 'Vwo springs extending .from :i single point y on the supporting- IOO porting-arm upward ly arm to separated points f5 porting-ann and herein shown on the side wall act to hold the forward end of the supand normallyvand yleldingly in a central sidewise position.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters 1. A movable electrictool, a flexible conductor connectingl the tool to the currentsupply, a supporting-arm mounted for )delding movement and connected at its free end with said conductor to control automatically the tension onl the conductor throughout a considerable range of movement of the tool.

2. ,A movable electric tool, a flexible electric conductor leading to said tool, a supporting-standard, a supporting-arm for said conductor mounted on said standard for um'- vcrsal movement means to move the end of said arm away from the tool and thus keep the fiexible conductor taut.

3. A movable electric tool, a flexible electric conductor leading to said tool, a supporting-standard, a su porting-arm for said conductor, said arm eing yieldingly and universally mounted on said standard to produce a continual 'tension on the flexible conductor and maintain it taut between the tool and the end ofthe arm.

4. A movable electric tool, a flexible electric conductor leading to said tool, a supporting-standard, a supporting-arm for said conductor mounted on said standard for universal movement and yieldingly held against downward or sidewise movement.

5. A movable electric tool, a flexible electric conductor leading to said tool, a supporting-standard, supporting-arm for said conductor mounted on said standard for universal movement, springs acting to movethe arm upward and to restore it to a central position from sidewise'movement.'

6. A movable electric tool7 a flexible electric conductor leading to said tool, a supporting-standard,` a pivot-block j ournaled therein, a s pring connecting the standard andthe pivotlock and acting to restore the latter to a normal position when moved on its j ournal, a supporting-arm mounted on and transversely to the pivot-blockJ a spring connectabove the supf ing the arm or the pivotblock and lacting normally to elevate t e arm.

'7. A movable electric tool, a flexible electric conductor leading to said tool, a sup orting-standlard, a pivot-block journaled tlierein, a spring connecting the standard andthe pivot-block and acting to restore the latter to a normal position when moved on its journal, a supporting-arm mounted on and transversely to the pivot-block, a spring connecting the arm ofthe pivot-block and acting normally to elevate the arm, means for adjusting the tension of the latter s ring.

8. A movable electric tool7 a exible conductor leading to said tool, a supportingstandard, a supporting-arm mounted for yieldingmovement upon said standard and -connectedat its free end with the said conductor to control automatically the tension -on the conductorthroughout a considerable range of movement of the rable circuit-connector at the free end of said arm.

' 9. A movable electric'tool, a flexible electric conductor leading to said tool, a supporting-standard, a supporting-arm adaptedto` support a flexible electric conductor and mounted on said standard vfor universal movement, means acting to move the end of said arm in a direction opposite to the pull upon the flexible conductor.

10. A movable electric tool, a flexible electric conductor leading to said tool, a su porting-standard, a supportingarm for a exiblc electric conductor mounted on said standard for universal movement, springs acting to tool, and a sepamove the arm upward and to restore it to a central position when moved sidewise.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presenceof two' subscribing witnesses.

' JAS. I. AYER.

GEDRGE T. GILBERT. Witnesses to r,the siffnature of James I. Ayer:

ELIZABETH M. CONLIN, Dorm A. Pnoo'ron. Witnesses yto Gilbert:

JOHN A. HousToN,

LEWIS F. BABBITT.

the signature of George 

